Little Falls transcript., 1887-05-27
THE FRESHET.

By HARRIET PRESCOTT SPOFFORD.
From Harper's Bazaar.
We had been engaged, Mark and |,
since we were babies, so to say; that
is, when he was still in knickerbock-
ers, and I was just out OF bibs, we
had decided that when we grew up and
had a house OF our own, it was to be
OUR own, his and mine, and there we
were to live together and live alone;
and if the chef of our diet there was
to be apple-tarts and butter SEQ tches,
chat was ou- own affair.
1t is a thousand pities that it was
about that house that all the rout
happened. For the fact is, l had the
strongest sort of will, and so had
Mark; and when it came to the point
it wasn't that house at all that |
wanted.
For, you see, the spot where lived,
down on the great meadow farms,
was my sole idea Of the beauty and
pleasantness ofthe world. Across the
river, with its high bank crowned with
Feathery and always trembling and
shining birches, the hills rose, far and
I1lnt and purple and vague; but here
there were only the long green levels Of
grass fields lying low and even with the
river that filled and sparkled in reeds
along the edge, and flowed by us broad
and grand on its way to the sea-. And
when the sun shone, and the sky was
blue, and the south wind was softly
blowing, one seemed as near heaven
living there, as it is given one to be on
earth.
There We're quite q number OF dwell
ing-houses here, where the corners of
several OF the great river farms con-
vereed, so that, although their land
stretched out in different directions,
the buildings clustered together like q
village, and We always came and went
freely in each others houses, and
knew each others concerns, and were
more like one large family than stran-
gers: and loved my neighbors, every
one, and didn't want to 60 away from
them. And when it came to the cues
tlOn OF marrying and going away,
was simply determined that Wouldn't
20 away, but that Mark should come
down to this little Garden OF Eden,
where l knew every tint OF the ripe
grass On the meadow, every sparkle
Of the water, every fleece OF cloud up
on the blue Of heaven.
"And why not, AIark?" I urged.
"Here is this immense farm, a really
great property, and would you leave
it to take care OF itself, and we go to
live two miles away on your fathers
place, that bleak, lonesome rock up
in the air, shut in By a pine forest.
like a great fortress-a prison, a real
dunoeOn?
at isn't 81 prison to me-" said Mark.
"lt is the brightest spot in the world
It. world be if you were in it, Nam"
My rr;:! name is Pamela; but that is
she w.!v people always used me.
"An'l no neighbors there!" Iexclaim-
ed-"nobody to run in of an evening,
nobody to talk to over the garden
wall. nobody to borrow OF, nobody to
snow your new things to, nobody il
you're SEX. One might as we'll be.
buried alive. l always thought so"
II should want nobody but you,
Nan, f we were married and that was
our home. 1t would be simply para
disc"
'It wouldn't be paradise to me
without any water to see. never
liked the verse in the bible about there
being no more sea. Pretty heaven
that, without any sea to look
at! l couldn't live without my
river. I've always had it run
ming by, running up or running down,
coming from somewhere, ,goingto some
where, life and motion. always look
out the first thing in the morning to
see if its still there, and listen for it
at night. And it makes two skies by
night-one above and one below-with
stars down in the underworld; and
then by day the color, the changing
light and color, and the pushing OF the
tide, taking you right into the myster-
les. Oh, It's stagnatlon without the
river! I'd as lief be dead"
"And I think just as much OF the
pine woods" he said, with the ever.
lasting murmur OF the boughs. And
when wind begins to blow, long be-
fore we feel it down below, the tree
tops know it, and are whispering
about it to one another, like old
witches brewing a storm
''And there's nothing out a patch
a OF garden there in your fathers old
place." ! went on, without needing;
''and here are these long, rich grass
lands. And how in the world are we
to manage a farm two miles away
from it, should like to know?'' &
II know" said Mark Easily;
just as you do two rods away s.
"It's impossible said l. "You
don't understand anything about
the oversight and care that q great
farm needs If you think that" .
"Weil, we could sell the farm you
know" -
"Sell the farm!'' cried, starting up.
"My fathers, my grandfather's, my
great-grandfather s." %'s.~.
"Your Noah's your Adams"
"How do you dare talk so to me,
Mark Myers, about my home!" /
cried, more yexed and more.
II shouldn't think you had called
my home . prison and . dungeon Z
he retorted. sss s
'.Well, il is! the gloomiest. the = !.